Barbarano Romano is a (municipality) in the

Province of Viterbo The province of Viterbo () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. Geography Viterbo is the most northerly of the provinces of Lazio. It is bordered to the south by the Metropolitan Cit ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region of

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whic ...

, located about northwest of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and about south of

Viterbo Viterbo (; Central Italian, Viterbese: ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Lazio region of Italy, the Capital city, capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in ...

. Barbarano Romano borders the following municipalities:

Blera Blera is a small town and ''comune'' in the northern Lazio region of Italy. It was known during the Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, ...

, Capranica, Vejano, Vetralla, Villa San Giovanni in Tuscia.

History

The volcanic height on which the town stands was likely the site of an ancient village dating from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, as numerous artifacts found at the base of the hill attest. However, records of a stable settlement only appear in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Near the end of the main street, Via Vittorio Emanuele, stood a pentagonal tower, remains of a Lombard fortress known as Desiderio's - after the last Lombard King who around 771 fortified

and nearby villages to oppose

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

, until 1930. An original marble plaque from 1280, located at the entrance of the main Church of S. Maria Assunta, indicates it was built in 1280, during the papal vacancy following the death of

Pope Nicholas III Pope Nicholas III (; Wiktionary:circa, c. 1225 – 22 August 1280), born Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 November 1277 to his death on 22 August 1280. He was a Roman nobleman who h ...

. Thus, Barbarano was part of the Lombard Roman Duchy, which, after the donation of Liutprand in 728, became property of the Church in the 8th century. Owned by the Anguillara in the 14th century, it later passed to the

Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: * Aaro ...

and finally to the

Borgia The House of Borgia ( ; ; Spanish and ; ) was a Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Xàtiva, Kingdom of Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town of Borja, then in the Cro ...

in the 15th century.

Archaeology

Barbarano Romano is home to the ancient

necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

of San Giuliano, an

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...

burial site that dated from the seventh century to the third century BC. Among its tombs, the "Queen’s Tomb" stands out as the largest, dating back to the fifth century BC. In March 2024, another large tomb was unearthed within the necropolis grounds. Discoveries in the site stem from archaeological excavations that began in the 1960s, initiated by Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and continued by the Archaeological Superintendence for Southern

Etruria Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...

. Directed by Prof. Stephan Steingraber of Roma 3 University, the site is home to a museum, whose exhibits span from the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

to the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

, including the Villanovan era, and highlight Etruscan culture with a focus on ceramics, funerary sculptures, and

ex-voto An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or a divinity, given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ''ex voto suscepto'', "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. The term is usually restricted to Christian example ...

reproductions. Among the notable pieces is a

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

known as "the priestess," featuring a detailed depiction of a female figure with a religious instrument, alongside a collection of near-life-sized Etruscan funerary sculptures, including a lion.

Main sights

*Medieval walls *Church of the Crucifix (''Chiesa del Crocifisso''), built in the 12th-13th centuries *Deconsecrated church of Sant'Angelo *Church of Santa Maria del Piano (13th-late 16th centuries) *Communal Palace *Ancient

of San Giuliano

References

Cities and towns in Lazio {{Latium-geo-stub